The 77th World Health Assembly, held in Geneva from 27 May to 1 June 2024, focused on the theme "All for Health, Health for All" and addressed key health challenges including universal health coverage, pandemic preparedness, and the social determinants of health as part of the WHO's 13th 5-year Programme of Work.
The 77th World Health Assembly was held at Geneva from 27 May to 1 June 2024 under the theme “All for Health, Health for All”, a wrap-up of the World Health Organization’s 13th 5-year Programme of work for 2019-2023, guided by 3 “billion targets”: to ensure One billion more people benefiting from universal health coverage (Pillar 1); One billion more people better protected from health emergencies (Pillar 2); and One billion more people enjoying better health and well-being (Pillar 3).
The WHA conducts its business in three main committees; Plenary, Committee A that deals predominantly with programme and budget matters, and Committee B that deals predominantly with administrative, financial and legal matters. Of the 29 items on the agenda, three may be of special interest to the psychology community, most particularly psychologists interested in the mental health and health-related aspects of the field:
Under Universal health coverage, a reference to Social participation for universal health coverage, health and well-being (sub-item 11.1) might have had more relevance, but was limited in the adopted document to a decision that noted the erosion of trust in public health during the COVID-19 pandemic, in particular “the negative impacts of health-related misinformation, disinformation, hate speech and stigmatization, on multiple media platforms, on people’s physical and mental health…”. To the contrary, debate regarding Strengthening mental health and psychosocial support before, during and after armed conflicts, natural and human-caused disasters and health and other emergencies (sub-item 11.2) led to adoption of a strong and wide-ranging resolution.
Under Public health emergencies, the Assembly succeeded in amending the International health regulations to include a definition of “pandemic emergency”, but agreed to continue negotiating a Pandemic prevention, preparedness and response accord to “improve international coordination, collaboration and equity to prevent, prepare for and respond to future pandemics”, extending the mandate of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Body (INB), established in December 2021, to finish its work by the World Health Assembly in 2025 (or earlier if possible).
Items under Social determinants of health were eventually shifted from Committee A to sessions of Committee B for debate and all proposed decisions and resolutions were adopted (see, in particular, the proposed and adopted resolution on Economics of health for all.
The principal reference is the Director-General’s report, and all the WHA77 documents may be found by following the WHO site.